title: Use of a totally artificial heart for a complex postinfarction ventricular septal defect.
abstract: The incidence of cardiac rupture complicating myocardial infarction has declined since the introduction of thrombolytic therapy. Despite the advances in the management of myocardial infarction, cardiac rupture remains an important cause of death among infarction-related fatalities. We discuss a patient who presented to our hospital with myocardial infarction and who subsequently developed a complex ventricular septal rupture, for which surgical repair was not feasible. Implantation of a CardioWest Total Artificial Heart (SynCardia Systems) allowed for immediate hemodynamic stabilization and served as a bridge to transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department for Cardiovascular Surgery, University Medical Center Ljubljana, Ljubljana.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Knezevic
authors.forename: Matija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jelenc
authors.forename: Nenad
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Danojevic
authors.forename: Manca
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Racic
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Poglajen
authors.forename: Jus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ksela
authors.forename: Vesna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Androcec
authors.forename: Tomaz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mesar
authors.forename: Ursa
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Mikuz
authors.forename: Bojan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vrtovec
mesh_terms: D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006354:Heart, Artificial; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018658:Ventricular Septal Rupture / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*